If you have just started your weight loss routine or even if you are an experienced “gym rat”, chances are you have at some point or will need to at some point work your triceps.
The triceps are the muscle group that is located in the back of the upper arm. In other words they are on the opposite side of your biceps.
Triceps are considered a large muscle group and make up nearly seventy-five percent of your total upper arm mass. As you can see just by its shear size the importance of incorporating a good tricep exercise routine is vital in a weight loss routine.
There is a variety to choose from and chances are any that you do choose will do a good job, but my favorites are tricep extensions. I will get into more detail of the movement in a moment but in short the tricep extension allows you to build those muscles by either working them both at the same time or separate with dumbbells. There are also machines today at the gym that mimic the tricep extension movement. Although I prefer free weights, use of nautilus and other types of machines are good as well. For the sake of this article I will demonstrate with free weights.
At its most basic movement the tricep extension is performed by sitting on a bench, a seat, or a workout ball and grabbing a single dumbbell with both hands, lifting it up and over your head and then slowly lowering the weight behind your head by bending your arms at your elbows.
Since this exercise can be varied by so many means I wanted to mention a few of them so that you can decide which movement works best for you. For instance, if you do not own dumbbells you only own free weights with straight bars, then instead of using dumbbells use the straight bar.
Maybe you do not own a bench, or a seat or workout ball. That is ok you can perform the movement lying flat on your back with your arms bent at the elbows leaving your arms parallel with your body and the floor.
If lying down is not your cup of tea, then stand up and do the movement. You can also use a kitchen chair if you need to sit. There are a variety of solutions that you can choose in order to add this routine to your weight loss program.
I recommend starting off slow performing a moderate weight that feels comfortable, not too heavy, yet not too light where you will not feel it. One set of Ten to twelve reps is all you need to get started. As you improve and get stronger, add more sets, up to three, taking no less and no more than thirty seconds rest in between.
Muscles require more energy in order to function so it goes without saying that if you increase your triceps which make up about seventy-five percent of your upper arms mass, they will need to burn more of those fat stores that you have and in turn help you lose weight.
Just remember as with any exercise program or routine that you perform, make sure you receive a complete physical from your doctor to get the ok to continue.
If focusing on the tricep, you may want to consider addressing a compound lift, such as dips and close grip bench press. I always try to perform the heavier compound moves before an isolation move such as extensions.